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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
15 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
27,706 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2009 Toyota Tacoma engine problems

engine problem

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2009 Toyota Tacoma Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #57

Feb 072023

Tacoma

  • 94,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that she received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V388000 (Vehicle Speed Control). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the floor mats were replaced; however, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed and after the accelerator pedal was released, the brake pedal was depressed, and the accelerator pedal became stuck. The contact stated that the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact was able to depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and no further assistance provided. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

- Walla Walla, WA, USA

problem #56

Oct 162020

Tacoma

  • 155,500 miles
Cruise control became finicky spring/summer 2019. I found articles stating that it could be the clockspring/spiral cable. I replaced the clockspring and that fixed the cruise control issue, but it caused my airbag light to turn on. I have been driving around with the airbag light on for the last year and a half. Over that time, the radio controls on the steering wheel have quit working (first the volume, then the channel, and the mode buttons). These haven't been working for at least 3 months now. Just yesterday, the cruise control went out completely. No warning signs or acting up. It just quit. From what research I have done, this issue was handled under a recall, but the recall only applies to the Tacoma models without audio controls on the steering wheel. Has that changed at all" why were not all versions/configurations covered"

- Glendale, AZ, USA

problem #55

Aug 082018

Tacoma

  • 113,000 miles
I have reported to Toyota that my cruise control works intermittently and that it goes on and off as it pleases. Toyota has responded that that issue is not covered with the current spiral cable clock spring recall. My truck VIN is a few digits away from the current list. I have replace the brake light switch, the cruise control switch and the problem persists. The spiral cable clock spring controls the cruise control just like does connection between the steering wheel airbag and/or the vehicle's horn and other devices and the vehicle's electrical systems. My cruise control has quit/stopped while the truck is in motion.

- Clarksville, TN, USA

problem #54

Apr 112017

Tacoma

  • 610,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

At or around 1330hrs local time on april11th I was stationary at a red light on E.main street at franklin ave in rockaway borough in dry daylight conditions when my truck experienced full acceleration in an instant propelling me forward until I impacted the vehicle 3 ft in front of me also stopped at the red light. The impact instantly lowered the engine speed to normal idle. This is the third time this happened. The dealer and Toyota try to hide under the floor mats interfering with the accelerator. The last time this happened in 2013 the dealer cut the accelerator pedal and reflashed the computer. It's still not right. Toyota had an independent lab to look at the events recorder and reported everything is fine. The engine speeds up in a rapid manner at a complete stop giving the operator just milli-seconds to try to react. A crash is the result. I'm lucky today, it could have been pedestrians run over and killed.this is a serious problem, I won't drive the Toyota anymore it's an unsafe vehicle.

- Rockaway, NJ, USA

problem #53

Apr 112017

Tacoma 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 61,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. While at a complete stop with the brake pedal depressed the vehicle accelerated independently and caused the contact to strike another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was driven home. The contact stated that this was the third time the exact same failure occurred, causing him to strike other vehicles. Previously, the vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the failure occurred due to the floor mat. The accelerator pedal was cut down and the computer system was updated; however, the failure recurred. The failure mileage was 61,000. Updated 05/16/17

- Rockaway, NJ, USA

problem #52

Apr 122014

Tacoma 6-cyl

  • 91,687 miles
Today, 04/12/14, at around 11:55 a.M., I had my fourth experience of unintended acceleration in my 2009 Toyota Tacoma. The first two incidents I had not reported. The third incident I did report to Toyota, they examined my truck and found nothing they thought would cause the acceleration. Today, I was approaching a busy intersection during a street festival in the downtown section of my home town. My truck did not stop when I pressed the brake, but the engine revved and the tires squealed twice as I tried unsuccessfully to stop the vehicle. It carried me through the intersection - if it had been occupied, I don't know if I would have been able to steer away from pedestrians, as the street was narrow and it all happened very fast. As soon as I had control of the truck, I pulled over to check the rug. The rug was hooked into its hole, a good 3 inches from the accelerator, and could not be moved by hand. I am now afraid to drive my truck, and am grateful to god that no one was hurt or killed. I had a passenger with me who witnessed this. Updated 09/29/2014

- Bastrop, TX, USA

problem #51

Jan 012014

Tacoma 6-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2009 Toyota Tacoma. Consumer writes in regards to sudden acceleration. The consumer stated as he attempted to pull into a parallel parking spot, the vehicle accelerated on its own, with so much force, he had to use all of his strength in his legs to stand on the brake pedal, until he could shift into neutral and the engine decelerated. The consumer stated since January, the acceleration has occurred about a half dozen times. The vehicle was inspected but nothing was found.

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #50

Oct 192013

Tacoma

  • 50,500 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 mph, he approached a stop signal. After the brake pedal depressed the vehicle surged and crashed into another vehicle. The contact sustained no injuries. The vehicle was driven from the scene. NHTSA recall campaign id number 09V388000 (speed control) was not related or associated with the recall. The unexpected acceleration occurred two times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who reprogrammed the computer system. In addition, an engineer was referred by the manufacturer to perform an investigation related to the defect, and gather information from the data recorder. The approximate failure mileage was 50,500.

- Boonton, NJ, USA

problem #49

Jun 062013

Tacoma

  • miles
I was driving South on I/S 95 in attleboro, MA at about 2:45 pm on 6/6/13 in a 2009 Toyota Tacoma pickup. My wife was in the passenger seat and the only other passenger in the vehicle. I was traveling at about 60 mph and moved to the right lane to take exit 2 onto rt 1A southbound. The cruise control was on and engaged. When I flipped the lever to disengage (cancel) the cruise control the truck did not start to slow down (my foot was off the accelerator pedal). If anything, the truck started to accelerate. I immediately applied the brakes very forcefully, with little, if any affect. I immediately put the transmission into neutral. By this time, I was off the highway and on the exit ramp. Centrifugal force was pushing me to the left. It pushed the truck over the curb and grass and into the entrance ramp from 1A South onto I/S 95 South. At this time, I saw a vehicle on the entrance ramp headed toward me. Had I tried to steer to the right the truck would most likely would have skidded and blocked the ramp entirely, so I turned to the left, turning into the skid, hoping that the oncoming vehicle would have room enough to pass to my right. My truck continued skidding to my left and I believe hit the curb on the right side of the entrance ramp. It then flipped onto the drivers side, skidded along the pavement, hit something else most likely the guardrail and flipped back to the upright position. It came to rest on the left side of the entrance ramp. I do not know what became of the previously on-coming auto. There was nothing to indicate contact between contact between the two vehicles. Both side airbags deployed. Both of us had our seat belts attached. The front windshield was broken, the roof severely dented, scrapes along the driver's side and glass throughout the cab. The rescue arrived and transported us to the hospital.

- Rehoboth, MA, USA

problem #48

Apr 222013

Tacoma

  • 30,980 miles
I was coming into a right handed corner on dry pavement doing 45mph (less than the suggested speed for the corner). As I let off the throttle and turned into the corner the vehicles stability control kicked in causing the truck to go straight. I had to fight against the steering wheel and managed to overpower the stability control but by then I was in the on-coming lane.

- Kelowna Bc Canada, WA, USA

problem #47

Jun 062012

Tacoma

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. The contact was entering a residential driveway and as the accelerator pedal was released, the vehicle sudden accelerated rapidly. There was also an abnormal increase in engine roms. The vehicle crashed into the side of the residence. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that they would send an investigator to further assess the failure. The failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 20,300.

- Key Largo , FL, USA

problem #46

Nov 112011

Tacoma

  • 15,322 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign id number: 09V388000 (vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs. One year later, the contact experienced an abnormal acceleration while shifting into drive with the brakes depressed. He was able to stop the acceleration failure by shifting into neutral and shutting off the vehicle. Once the vehicle was restarted, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure however, the dealer advised that he would be sending for an investigator to further inspect the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The current and the failure mileages were 15,322.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #45

Jul 202010

Tacoma 4WD 6-cyl

  • 29,000 miles
I have a 2009 Toyota Tacoma and when the vehicle is stopped for example at a red light the vehicle RPM will increase and the vehicle will then lurch forward. Fortunately my foot in on the brake. The vehicle also has a whining noise from the rear of the vehicle that has been identified by Toyota regional reps as a whining noise from the differential at 50 to 70 mph. Taken back 3 times to dealer they say its normal but I know it is not. These may be 2 separate issues but it is clear that Toyota makes it difficult for it's customers to get warranty repairs and in acknowledging a problem. Toyota should be ashamed for its lack of customer service in fixing its vehicles until people get injured.

- Coventry, RI, USA

problem #44

Dec 142010

Tacoma

  • 8,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while attempting to park and depressing the brakes, the vehicle abnormally accelerated and crashed into a pole. The contact stated that the brake and accelerator pedals were too close together and she has simultaneously depressed both pedals causing the abnormal acceleration. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The current and failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

- Sandy, UT, USA

problem #43

Sep 152010

Tacoma

  • 15,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer because he was experiencing issues when he was shifting gears. The technicians modified the accelerator pedal. After the accelerator pedal was modified he was driving approximately 35 mph when it became difficult for him to engage the pedal. The dealer stated that they would replace the pedal; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 15,000.

- Huntington Park, CA, USA

problem #42

Sep 222010

Tacoma

  • 13,900 miles
Using the cruise control, set at 61mph, climbing a small hill, the truck downshifted at least 3 times, revving the engine to over 5000 RPM. It startled me. My first reaction was to shift to neutral, but I knew that would cause the engine to over rev. I lifted the cruise control to shut it off, and the engine speed dropped. I drove a while with the cruise off, then retried it. On the first hill the same thing happened, and I shut off the cruise. I tried two more times with the same results. When I drove with out the cruise control on, the engine would down shift only one time, then at the top of the hill would upshift, resuming the normal operation. Through out the rest if my visit to pa, I drove w/O cruise control, and there were no over shifting incidents. On the return trip to nc on the 26th, I reset the cruise, and upon climbing a hill, the same thing happened. I shut off the cruise control until I got out of the hills, and then the operation seemed normal. I have made that trip before in the truck, and had nothing like the experience I just mentioned.

- Wilson, NC, USA

problem #41

Mar 142010

Tacoma

  • 5,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. While driving 45 mph, the vehicle shifted out of gear and accelerated on its own. The contact was able to control the vehicle by applying the brakes and stop the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and could not duplicate the failure and stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 5,000. The current mileage was 8,000.

- Emecula, CA, USA

problem #40

Jul 032010

Tacoma 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 8,400 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. While driving 60 mph the vehicle accelerated without a warning. The contact was able to control the speed and stop the acceleration by depressing the brake pedal. On a separate occasion, while driving in reverse from a driveway with the brakes depressed, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact had to use extreme force on the brake pedal to stop the unintended acceleration. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where they were unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 8,400. Updated 9/1/10 updated 09/02/10

- Milwaukee , WI, USA

problem #39

May 282010

Tacoma

  • 11,176 miles
Today I was on rt 50 in western fairfax county, va stopped and waiting to make a left hand turn onto centreville rd. All of a sudden my Toyota Tacoma 09 surged forward and gently hit the stopped full size truck in front of me. The gentlemen in the full size truck got out and saw no damage on his truck. I had some minor scratches on the front bumper and on the front license plate. No one was hurt so we did not report anything. I am concerned that there is a defect in my truck that causes this sudden surge. Had someone walked in front of my truck when the surge occurred, someone could have been seriously injured. Luckily no one was hurt.

- Centreville, VA, USA

problem #38

May 172010

Tacoma

  • 18,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Tacoma. While driving in reverse at a very low speed, the vehicle surged backward resulting in a crash. There was no police report filed and no injuries reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop to have the body work performed. The vehicle was in the process of being examined for the failure. The failure and current mileages were approximately 18,000.

- Hopkinton, MA, USA

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